RN204 Spitfire part request, trying to find from my grandad

[mcowan888]

Can someone help me find my grandad's spitfire part for RN204, shot down on 19th April over Germany in 1945. See attached, it was sold on ebay in 2014 I think. My grandad is Henry Cowan.

Part Details… below from the guy who sold it on ebay in 2016.


Forgot to mention in the forum that the piece is just over 4mm thick.
You might need the serial number; 366 30 3 CS ?
30 = main fairing ( I don't know where this would be on the plane, there
is that many of them! .. but obviously it's the MAIN fairing.
3 = would probably tell you exactly where it goes.
CS = I don't know.
? = yes this question mark is stamped alongside the serial number.
I don't know if this is something or not, but I was trying to find out about the
double X painted on the front and it hinted at the engine area?

 

[Wurger]

As memo serves

366 means the Spitfire Mk.XII
30 means the main fairing
3 CS is the individual part number.

 

[mcowan888]

Yes, correct, we know the aircraft , rn204. I know the guy that sold the part above 6 years ago, it is from my grandads plane which he crashed and died in 'Henry Cowan'. I am trying to get guidance to how we can now locate this part? Does anyone own it, knows who owns it, or knows somewhere to find out the above?

As memo serves

366 means the Spitfire Mk.XII
30 means the main fairing
3 CS is the individual part number.

 

[Wurger]

By the location of the part do you mean where it was on the aircraft or anything else?
Just a note .. the part number 366 30 3CS indicate the Spitfire MK.XII while your grandad flown the Spitfire Mk.XIV. The parts number for the Mk.XIV started with 369 and 379.

 

[mcowan888]

By the location of the part do you mean where it was on the aircraft or anything else?
Just a note .. the part number 366 30 3CS indicate the Spitfire MK.XII while your grandad flown the Spitfire Mk.XIV. The parts number for the Mk.XIV started with 369 and 379.

Where it is I want to buy it!!

 

[Wurger]

Oh .. so you want to know who has it collected , don't you?

 

[mcowan888]

It would mean the world to me, and I'd like to purchase it or know it might be in a museum of some sort yes

 

[Airframes]

I think it will be rather difficult to locate the current owner of the part. Also, as Wojtek points out, the part seems to be from a MkXII, with only 100 airframes produced, serving in only two squadrons of the RAF, in the UK. As far as I know, the Mk.XII never saw front-line service outside of mainland UK.
Although the part may be desirable, to a collector, due to it's rarity, is it worth the effort trying to locate something which is very probably not from your grandfather's aircraft ?
However, that said, there is a slim chance that this was a "common" part, and used as a replacement due to availability. It looks rather like one of a number of circular inspection panels found on the underside of the wing leading edge.

 

[Wurger]

It would mean the world to me, and I'd like to purchase it or know it might be in a museum of some sort yes

Well .. you have to ask the seller, if he is still around the Ebay, to whom it was sold. Actually I' doubt the buyer is the member of our forum.

 

[Wurger]

However, that said, there is a slim chance that this was a "common" part, and used as a replacement due to availability. It looks rather like one of a number of circular inspection panels found on the underside of the wing leading edge.

Terry, I have checked on that as it also was my initial thought. But all these round panels at the leading edge were screwed to the main body with a couple of SMS. The part seen above seems to have the one or two lockers of a bolt type.

 

[Wurger]

... it is a round armoured access hatch/door about 4 inches in diameter with two X's (painted on) split by a forward slash, one X being higher than the other one ...

Spitfire mk. Xii crash sites germany - Page 6

Does anyone have any information on any Mk. XII Spitfires that crashed/crash landed in Germany. A plane that was lost on a Ramrod escort or a reconnaissance mission or maybe to bomb an airfield ? I would be very interested in any crash site information (serial no of the plane would be nice), but...

www.rafcommands.com

Spitfire RN204 [Royal Air Force Aircraft Serial and Image Database]

This is a individual page for Aircraft Spitfire RN204 of the Royal Air Force. You may find some details of its career, loss details, maybe a photograph, and whatever mention of the serial that occurs in the forum. At the very least you will end up knowing what type of aircraft carried this...

www.rafcommands.com

 

[mcowan888]

I think it will be rather difficult to locate the current owner of the part. Also, as Wojtek points out, the part seems to be from a MkXII, with only 100 airframes produced, serving in only two squadrons of the RAF, in the UK. As far as I know, the Mk.XII never saw front-line service outside of mainland UK.
Although the part may be desirable, to a collector, due to it's rarity, is it worth the effort trying to locate something which is very probably not from your grandfather's aircraft ?
However, that said, there is a slim chance that this was a "common" part, and used as a replacement due to availability. It looks rather like one of a number of circular inspection panels found on the underside of the wing leading edge.

there was allot of research that this part was confirmed to be from the wreckage of rn204.

Going back to the guys that did research and sharing your feedback.

Feedback from research:

From: Allan Hillman [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: 17 September 2014 13:20
To: 'Peter Arnold'
Subject: Can you please identify this Spitfire: XIV relic

Hello Peter



Can you please identify this panel – it is from a Spitfire XIV RN204 – shot down on 19 April 1945, of 402 Squadron RCAF flown by F/Lt Henry Cowan



See Spitfire mk. Xii crash sites germany



Cheers



Allan

 

[mcowan888]

This is from the blog forums apart this part:

Thank you all very much for your comments and info, it is greatly appreciated. The part I have, definitely was made for a Type 366 with the correct serial number. A Spitfire Mk. XII relic came from a crash site near Ludwigslust, that means that the part was fitted to another plane, probably Mk. XIV, the only logical explanation. I have 2 Mk. XIV crash sites at Parchim. Ludwigslust and Parchim were both airfields during WW2? A key to this if it was one of the two planes, would be the dates the airfields were being used? I read somewhere that the Luftwaffe changed airfields, Ludwigslust to Parchim in early 1945? There could be more crash sites in the area also.

The Spitfires shot down were RN204 AND RM727. Does anyone have the Squadron/plane code for these?
This might be "pie in the sky" but I am going to run it by you anyway. A part made for a Mk. XII was fitted to a Mk. XIV and then was shot down at Parchim. The Germans (Russians) decided to salvage the plane and take it back to Ludwigslust for whatever reason. Does that sound plausible?

From the original seller, and person who sourced it from Germany.

Hi Matthew,

The part is from a Spitfire XIV, although made for the earlier mark
The person can't comment on it's authenticity
Wrong location for air access door
Why does it need to be difficult to find?
The person I originally sourced the item from, lives in that area and said it been recovered from that area
Sorry I have nothing to back this up, not anymore

Allan? did I say anything to you about location of crash site?

Douglas

 

[Rocketeer]

You have to remember that VS reused parts from previous Mks on future Mks. Old timers here will remember that I put a post about my recovery of the Spiteful Prototype NN660, it was Type 371, but had parts from 300 mk1 right the way to MkXIV (it had a Mk XIV fuz). So the 366 does not mean it was a MkXXII, it just means that it was no earlier than a XXII. It Also means that VS designed the part for a 366 that was also suitable for use on other Mks without change.

 

[Rocketeer]

Wish you luck finding it

 

[mcowan888]

If anyone comes across it, this is how it was last sold. See images below.

 

[Crimea_River]

This is clearly frustrating for you and I wish you luck. I can only suggest that you keep scouring Ebay to see if it comes back for resale. You could also go onto Facebook and follow groups like "Warbirds Aircraft Parts Exchange" and " Ww2 Aircraft Parts and Equipment" which are just two of many sites that have Parts for resale.

When did the Ebay sale happen?

 

[Crimea_River]

Also try image searches on Google using the display picture and see if it comes up anywhere other than here.